Cowl lamp



May 5, 1925.

H. A. DOUGLAS COWL LAMP original Filed Jan. 27, 1921 2 sheetsnsheet' 1 lll lll/1114111111111] May 5, 1925. A 1,536,084

- H. A, DOUGLAS f GOWL LAMP priginal'mled Jan. 2?,"1921 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented vMay 5, 1925.

PATENT orifice.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS, or Bnonson, MICHIGAN.

oowL LAMP. p

A@riginal application filed January 27, 1921, Serial No. 440,486. Divided and this application filed April 17, 1922. Serial No. 554,270. i

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, HARRY A. DOUGLAS, ycitizen of the United States, residing at Bronson, in the county of Branch and State ot' Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cfowl Lamps, oitl `which the following is a iull, clear, concise, and exact description. i

My invention relates, generally speaking, to circuit continuing devices and also specifically to cowl lamps which are used, for example, upon the dashboards ol' automobiles. The invention has for its main object the provision of such aconstruction and assembly of parts that short circuiting paths are avoided, but has other objects or advantages in view as will appear.

ln automobile wiring the circuit connectors are such4 that the manipulator of lamp parts, `particularly lamp cowls, are apt to be subject to stray or grounded currents. l avoid this liability by surrounding the .incandescent lamp bulb socket or shell by a sleeve which, if metallic, is suitably electrically separated from the lamp holding shell. `Where thecowlis employed in conjunction with the lamp,` the sleeve is formed with a reduced forward end to supportthe cowl in Suitable .relation to the lamp bulb.

'I will explain the foregoingand other characteristics oil my `invention more it'ully by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred embodiment thereoir und inwhich Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a cowl lamp constructed in accordance withthe preferred embodiment ot the invention, thisffigure being taken generally on line 1-1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a Sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view on line SH3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;.Fig. 5 is a delail View; Fig. G :is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a modification; Fig. 7 is a rear end lview of the structure shown .in Fig. (i, Fig. 8 is a sectional View' on liuc 8-8 of Fig. (3; Fig. 9 is a perspective view ot' an element that takes part in assembling portions of t-he structure; Fig. 10 is a View, partially in section and partially in elevation, illustrating a modiiication; and Fig. 11 is al sectional view on line 11-11 of Fig. 6.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the dierent figures.

By reason of the illustrated construction, `the mounting sleeve 1 may be metallic. This sleeve is provided with` a flange 2 carrying sleeiierivets 3 that assemble the insulating mounting plate 4 with the base oil the mounting sleeve. rl"hcse rivets also serve to permit of the passage ot mount-ing `screws through the base flange ofil the mounting sleeve into some suitable support, Such, for example, as the dashboards oil' automobiles. The .metallic Shell 5 Ais surrounded and substantially housed by the mounting sleeve, this metallic shell being suitably assembled with the mounting plate or insulating body 4 that unites the rear ends of the shell and sleeve. The forward end of the shell is formed with bayonet channels 6 which are. adapted to receive bayonet projections? carried by the base of the incandescent lamp bulb S, such lamp base` constituting the contact carrier. rl`hc bulb of the lamp project-S forwardly bcyond the shell and sleeve and in order that the passage of light therefrom may be limited to a dciinite ,path the bulb is partially enclosed by a cowl t) which is mounted upon the reduced forward end ot the shell 1, the base of the cowl engaging the shoulder formed upon the shell where the reduced portion 'is connected willi the balance ol? the shell.

lt the circuitl continuing device is a sin called double pole striuflure, the inner end of the lamp base is provided with two contacts 10 that constitute terminals oi the lamp filament and the sleeve encloses two forwardly` pressed spring contacts 11 engageable with the contacts 10 to include the lamp in circuit. This double pole structure is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive. ln Figs. 6 to 11, inclusive, a single pole structure is illustrated in which case there is but one lamp base contact 10 upon the inner lace of the lamp base and but one lioruiaifllly spring pressed contact 11 engagcable with the contact 10, one terminal ot the lamplilament being connected with the metallic sheath that engages the metallic sleeve 5 which is in grounded connection with the source of current that supplies the lamp. In each construction, the shell 5 is desirably fixedly assembled with the insulating body 4 by means of clips 13 having opposite notches 14 that receive ears 15 Struck outwardly vfrom the shell whereby the base of the shell is held against the inner' tace ot the plate 4t except where the shell is formed with rearwardly projecting tongues 1G that extend through the plate 4L to prevent the shell from turning and to take part in fixing the angular relation of the shell to the plate. Each clip is formed with an angular ear 17 that engages the rear tace et the plate 4- to complete the assembly of the plate and shell. Vilhere the structure is a so-called single pole structure one ot the clips is provided with a rearward continuation 18 having threaded holes 19 that receive the binding screws 2O that serve to connect the current conducting wire with the clip provided with the extension whereby the shell connected with the clip may be grounded. ln the case of each contact 11, in the two pole structure ot Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, and the single contact 11 o1 the single pole structure ot Figs. G to 11, inclusive, there is a flat terminal plate 21 that carries such contact 11 in riveted connection therewith at the front end ot the plate, the rear end o1 the plate being 'formed with a threaded hole that receives a binding screw 22 `for connecting the plate and the contact thereon in circuit. There is a metallic sleeve 23 for guiding each plate 21 which is movable longitudinally of the sleeve 23 enclosing` it. The rear end ot each sleeve is formed with flanges 2&1 that define an annular channel between which the mounting plate 4 is gripped. A coiled spring 25 surrounds eaeh sleeve 23, being compressed between the corresponding contact 11 and the forward flange 24. Each contact 11 is thus forwardly spring pressed into engagement with its complemental contact 10 when the contact carrier carrying such complemental contact is full;7 assembled with the forward end of the shell In the ease of a two pole structure, the incandescent lamp is included in circuit by the engagement of both eontacts 11 respectively with the contacts 10 upon the inner face of the lamp base. In the case of the single pole structure the incandeseent lamp is included in circuit when the single Contact 11 .fully engages the complemental contact 10 at the center of the lamp base. rl`he coiled spring' that urges the contact 11 forwardly, not only engages such contact with its complemental contact 1() in the single pole structure` but also firmly presses the metallic sheath, with which the base ot the single pole lamp is provided, laterally against the grounded shell.

Novel characteristics not herein claimed `form the subject mattei' ot my original application Serial No. 411110,11-86, liled January 27, 1921, of which the present case is a division and my copending application, Serial No. 678,210 filed Dec. 3, 1923, a division of the present application.

lhile l have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodimentol my invention I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit ot my invention, but having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following In a lamp structure, the combination with a metallic sleeve; of a metallic shell afsembled with said sleeve. this shell being formed with a. flange; an insulating body uniting the rear ends o'lsaid shell and sleeve and constituting' a Contact carrier, there being rivets passing through said flange and insulating body; a forwardly spring pressed contact upon said insulating body and pro- `iecting into said shell; an incandescent lamp whose base is separably coupled with the forward end of said shell and carries a contact that is complemental to the atoresaifil spring pressed contact; and a cowl supported upon the forward end of said sleeve7 which sleeve end is reduced to form a shoulder for engaging the base oil the cowl.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 27th day of Septen'iber, A. D. 1921.

HARRY A. DGUGLAS. 

